Ruling and lettering guide



April 27, 1954 F. c. NELSON 2,676,410

RULING AND LETTERING GUIDE Filed May 25, 1953 i l l I l mvsm-oe l FREDERIC c. NELSON 1 7 Gm M Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frederic 0. Nelson, Los Angeles, Calif. Application May 25, 1953, Serial No. 357,333

The invention herein described pertains to drawing instruments and more particularly to an instrument to be used with a pencil or other scribing device chiefly for drawing parallel lines of predetermined spacing.

On of the objects of the present invention is to provide an instrument of the type described that will produce a relatively large number of equally spaced lines, whose separation may vary over a range of provided spacings, withoutthe necessity of moving the straight edge or other guide with which the instrument is to cooperate.

Another object is to provide an instrument of the typ describedthat will be relatively small and yet enable the user to select any of several different spacings andpermit him to draw a relatively largenumber of lines of the selected separation without moving the cooperating straight edge.

Another object is the provision of an instrument having the aforementioned advantages that will be symmetrical and pleasing in appearance.

An additional object is to make it comparatively easy for the used to adjust the instrument for drawing lines of whateverspacing he may select within the range of spacings for which the instrument is designed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lettering guide that may readily be adjusted for letters of any desired height within the range of the instrument.

- Still another object is the provision of a small device that may readily be used for drawing 60 and 30 angles. Yet other objects will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofmy device.

Fig. 2 shows my device being used in connection with a T-square and a pencil for the drawing of uniformly spaced lines.

My invention may conveniently be embodied in a sheet-like form of uniform thickness having three or more sides or edges; and such embodiment may be constructed of pyroxyline, wood, metal, fibre, hard rubber, Lucite or other synthetic resin, or any other approved material such as is used for making triangles, irregular curves and templets for engineers and draftsmen.

' The embodiment that I presently prefer is shown in the figures and is of triangular form, the triangle A being equilateral with rounded corners I 2. In this preferred form, three rows of holes '3, 4 and 5 are provided, the holes in each row having a spacing different from the spacing of 1 Claim. (01. 33104) theholes inthe other rows. Each row of holes is disposed along one of the altitudes of the triangle and each of the rows is thus perpendicular to one of the sides. intersect at a hole 6 that is common to each of the three rows, and it will consequently be clear that the spacing of the holes, in the initial design of the instrument, must be laid out from this center or common hole. The holes are tapered in order to conform roughlyto the taper of th point of a pencil or other scribing device.

In the embodiment that I prefer, one series of holes has spacings of another fe", and

another 5? By' inserting a scriber such as the pencil 8 in every other hole in one of these series and then moving the instrument along a straight edge, it willbeclear that lines may be drawn that are spaced 4, or If lines of 3%", 2" or /64" are to be drawn, the user draws a series of lines having a spacing twice as great as desired, that is, conforming to the spacing provided by the apertures in one of the series. He then moves the guiding straight-edge or T- square a. distance equal to half the distance between adjacent holes and draws additional lines between those-that were drawn before the T- square or straight edge was shifted.

In using the instrument as a lettering guide, any of the spacings provided by th instrument may be used for the top and bottom lines of a row of letters or numerals, and the straight edge may then be shifted slightly to draw an intermediate line that will provide a suitable guid for the tops of the lower case letters. My instrument is much more satisfactory as a lettering guide than other devices that are available, because most other lettering guides provide for a fixed relationship between the height of capital and lower case letters, whereas my instrument allows the user to select any desired relationship.

The equilateral triangle device shown in the figures may readily be used to draw lines that will form angles of with a base line, or with respect to each other. These angles may be bisected by holding the instrument in the position used for drawing one of the 60 lines and then making a dot by placing the scribing device in the central hole 6 or in one of the holes in the row of apertures that is disposed between the base line and the previously drawn 60 line. A line drawn through the point thus made and through the point of intersection of the two 60 spaced lines, will bisect the 60 angle, thus forming two angles of 30.

In order to facilitate the use of my device, I

The three rows of holes in structure, it is desirable that there be an uneven number of sides. even number of sides, and in whichrowsrof apextures are arranged perpendicularly to the-sides; it is not possible to have the perpendicularly from thexzenters of opposite sides, asrtwosuch series of :holes each veictendin,gnzfromi anopposite side could not extend past thergeneral. centerof the: instrument, for the. reason thatv they wouldbe on-a common-line. It-vispossi-ble; however, for rows. of holes proceeding per-pens dicularly'fromopposite sides-to cross a-rows of holes-that are perpendicular. to. other asides} if the. rows." from the said opposite sides: are arranged inperpendicular linessthat do, noteproceed irom; the :centers of 1' the-saidv sides. offset, they mayextend over, across andheyond other rcws of holes, eaclr of the two parallel rows thus formed having" onehole in common; with the intersecting rows of- :holes;

It should also be:- pointed out that the sides; of my instrument-need not necessarily-be straight.-

It 7 is important, ,however'; thatutherewbe at least a common central 5 hole, and if the instrument is to be.-symmetrical In an instrument: having an rows of holespmceed If v such rows are two spaced points on each side that will engage a straight edge or other guiding device so that the instrument may be slid therealong. It will be clear that these considerations can be met if the sides are concave, or even if they are irregular in form, providing the sides of the instrument will engage the straight edge or othe guiding device in such a way that contact will be maintained during the ruling process.

Still other modifications rmay'bei made from theformshown-without*departingdromthe scope and spirit of the appended claim.

My claim is:

An instrument to facilitate the drawing of certain angles and of parallel lines of predetermined spacing; saiddnstrument comprising a fiat sheetlikabody, in.the, form of an equilateral triangle,

' saidb'ody having a plurality of intersecting rows ofispaced apertures therein, each of said rows bisecting one of the angles of the triangle, the aperturessin any-'onesrow being separated by; an equal distance which is diflierent fromthe-spac ing; of l the& aperturessin the: other rows,=,,there being ind-icia-adjacent each oisaidrows indicatingthe spacing of the apertures thereins References ,cited lin the fiIe of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name-* Date 13.141382 Mat'son July 31, 1945 1,383,759 Romie July 5, 1921 1;"104;540" Keuffel Mar. 5, 1929 1,863,091 Ailred- June 14; 1932 FQREIG-N PATENTS:

Number Country Date 2683-59 Italy Oct; 9, 1929 

